Saudi Tweeter facing death sentence if returned from Malaysia

Posted: 10 February 2012

The Malaysian authorities must release Hamza Kashgari and not forcibly return him to Saudi Arabia, where he faces risk of execution for his Tweets about the Prophet Mohammed, Amnesty International said today.

He was arrested at Kuala Lumpur’s airport Thursday morning and taken away by two plain-clothed men. Amnesty International called on the authorities to reveal his whereabouts, and ensure his access to lawyers. The Malaysian authorities have not charged Kashgari with any recognisable criminal offense.

Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Middle East and North Africa. Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said:“Hamza Kashgari faces imminent risk of forcible return to Saudi Arabia where he could be executed if his statements are deemed to amount to apostasy,”

“Amnesty International considers Hamza Kashgari a prisoner of conscience since he is being detained in Malaysia for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.”

Hamza Kashgari, who was born in 1989, left Saudi Arabia on 6 February amid death threats after prominent clerics accused him of apostasy following statements he had posted on Twitter which they deemed to be insulting towards the Prophet Mohammed.

Saudi Arabia applies the death penalty for apostasy. On 7 February, Saudi Arabia’s king reportedly called on the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior to arrest Hamza Kashgari and hold him accountable for the statements he made. Hamza Kashgari arrived in Kuala Lumpur on 7 February, and was arrested two days later as was trying to continue his journey to New Zealand.

Media reports have stated that the Malaysian Home Minister confirmed they had arrested him and were in contact with the Saudi Arabian authorities about their next course of action.

Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said:“Saudi Arabian authorities must revoke the request to arrest Hamza Kashgari for exercising his right to freedom of expression, and drop any requests to Malaysia for him to be handed over on this basis,”

“If the Malaysian authorities hand over Hamza Kashgari to Saudi Arabia, they could end up complicit in any violations he suffers.”

Amnesty International said that the Malaysian authorities repress freedom of expression through jail terms and fines, but they do not carry out executions for peaceful exercise of freedom of expression.

BackgroundIn Saudi Arabia, the death penalty is applied for a wide range of offences including for apostasy and sorcery. The criminalisation of apostasy is incompatible with the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion as set out in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Although the crime of “sorcery” is not defined it has been used to punish people for the legitimate exercise of their human rights, including the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, belief and expression. In 2011, two people were executed for sorcery.

Amnesty International has documented cases in Saudi Arabia where people whose comments were deemed contrary to Islam have at times been considered to be tantamount to being an apostate and as such sentenced to death.

Court proceedings in Saudi Arabia fall far short of international standards for fair trial. Defendants are rarely allowed formal representation by a lawyer, and in many cases are not informed of the progress of legal proceedings against them. They may be convicted solely on the basis of confessions obtained under duress or deception.

Hamza Kashgari Sent Back To Saudi Arabia To Face Possible Execution For Tweets

By Stuart Grudgings

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia deported a Saudi Arabian blogger on Sunday, police said, despite fears voiced by human rights groups that he could face execution in his home country over Twitter comments he made that were deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammad.

Hamza Kashgari, a 23-year-old columnist, sparked outrage in the oil-rich kingdom with comments posted on the Prophet's birthday a week ago that led some Islamic clerics to call for him to face the death penalty.

Kashgari fled the country, but was arrested by police in majority-Muslim Malaysia on Thursday as he transited through Kuala Lumpur international airport.

"The Saudi writer was repatriated to his home country this Sunday morning," a police spokesman told Reuters. "This is an internal Saudi matter that we cannot comment on."

Malaysia has a close affinity with many Middle Eastern nations through their shared religion. The Southeast Asian nation is also a U.S. ally and a leading global voice for moderate Islam, meaning that the decision to extradite Kashgari is certain to be controversial.

"Saudi clerics have already made up their mind that Kashgari is an apostate who must face punishment," Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement on Friday.

I hope continuing to make noise in the internet will help Hamza. This is a HUGE human rights issue. I wonder if Amnesty International can help. Shame on the United States for the continuing support of a despotic regimen.